Solution-flame hybrid synthesis of defect-enriched mesoporous CuO_(x) nanowires for enhanced electrochemical nitrate-to-ammonia production

Electrochemical nitrate reduction(ENR)is an economical and eco-friendly method for converting industrial wastewater into valuable ammonia under atmospheric conditions.The main challenge lies in designing and developing highly durable ENR electrocatalysts.This study introduces defect-rich mesoporous CuO_(x) nanowires electrocatalyst synthesized using a novel solution-flame(sol-flame)hybrid method to control mesoporosity and introduce surface defects,thereby enhancing the electrochemical nitrate-toammonia production performance.We found surface defects(oxygen vacancies and Cu^(+))and unique mesoporous nanowire structure composed of tightly interconnected nanoparticles.The sol-flamesynthesized CuO_(x) nanowires(sf-CuO NWs)achieved superior ammonia yield rate(0.51 mmol h^(-1)cm^(-2)),faradaic efficiency(97.3%),and selectivity(86.2%)in 1 M KOH electrolyte(2000 ppm nitrate).This performance surpasses that of non-porous and less-defective CuO NWs and is attributed to the increased surface area and rapid electron transport facilitated by the distinctive morphology and generated defects.Theoretical calculation further suggests oxygen vacancies enhance NO_(3)^(-)adsorption on the sf-CuO NWs’surface and mitigate the competing hydrogen evolution reaction.This study outlines a strategic design and simple synthesis approach for nanowire electrocatalysts that boost the efficiency of electrochemical nitrate-to-ammonia conversion.

Novel extended C-m models of flow stress for accurate mechanical and metallurgical calculations and comparison with traditional flow models

Here,we developed novel extended piecewise bilinear power law(C-m)models to describe flow stresses under broad ranges of strain,strain rate,and temperature for mechanical and metallurgical calculations during metal forming at elevated temperatures.The traditional C-m model is improved upon by formulating the material parameters C and m,defined at sample strains and temperatures as functions of the strain rate.The coefficients are described as a linear combination of the basis functions defined in piecewise patches of the sample strain and temperature domain.A comparison with traditional closed-form function flow models revealed that our approach using the extended piecewise bilinear C-m model is superior in terms of accuracy,ease of use,and adaptability;additionally,the extended C-m model was applicable to numerical analysis of mechanical,metallurgical,and microstructural problems.Moreover,metallurgy-related values can be calculated directly from the flow stress information.Although the proposed model was developed for materials at elevated temperatures,it can be applied over a broad temperature range.

Dual function of a high-contrast hydrophobic-hydrophilic coating for enhanced stability of perovskite solar cells in extremely humid environments

In spite of a continuous increase in their power conversion efficiency （PCE） and an economically viable fabrication process,organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells （PSCs） pose a significant problem when used in practical applications：They show fast degradation of the PCE when exposed to very humid environments.In this study,the stability of PSCs under very humid conditions is greatly enhanced by coating the surface of the PSC devices with a multi-layer film consisting of ultrahydrophobic and relatively hydrophilic layers.A hydrophobic composite of poly（methyl methacrylate） （PMMA）,polyurethane （PU）,and SiO2 nanoparticles successfully retards the water molecules from very humid surroundings.Also,the hydrophilic layer with moderately PMMA captures the residual moisture within the perovskite layer;subsequently,the perovskite layer recovers.This dual function of the coating film keeps the PCE of PSCs at 17.3% for 180 min when exposed to over 95% humidity.